Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment

Recommendations:-

1.    That Cabinet recommend to Council that the proposed Gambling Act 2005 Statement of Licensing Policy 2020-2023 be adopted.

2.    That officers work with colleagues in Public Health, alongside Licensing Committee and Health and Wellbeing Board, to produce a Local Area Risk Profile for the Borough.

Consideration was given to a report which detailed how under Section 349 of the Gambling Act 2005 a licensing authority was required to prepare and publish a statement of its licensing policy at least every three years. 

The Council’s Gambling Act Statement of Licensing Policy was last due for review and republication in 2014. However, this review did not take place due to the Council’s focus on taxi and private hire licensing.

In June 2019, Cabinet took the decision to undertake a two-stage consultation process. This process had now concluded, and the outcome of the consultation had informed a finalised Statement of Licensing Policy for approval. 

The revised policy contained a number of changes and the consultation had broadly supported these changes including identifying clear links between different priorities and strategies of the Council, detailing information to emphasise each individual licensing objective and how these could be promoted by applicants and further work on the creation a ‘Local Area Risk Profile’, which would set out the Council’s position, based on available data, as to which areas of the borough may have a higher sensitivity to problem gambling.

The draft policy already included substantially more information than previously and gave advice to applicants about how they should undertake a risk assessment of their local area and what types of evidence should be included in this.

Cabinet noted that in terms of that local risk there was still a requirement in the new policy for licensed premises to undertake their own risk assessment.   Licensing officers and Licensing Committee would then consider the risk to be considered prior to issuing licenses.

The report had been subject to pre-decision scrutiny by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board on 18^th March, 2020 where Members had indicated their support for the recommendations.  

Resolved:-

(1)  That Council be recommended to agree that the proposed Gambling Act 2005 Statement of Licensing Policy 2020-2023 be adopted.

(2)  That officers work with colleagues in Public Health, alongside Licensing Committee and Health and Wellbeing Board, to produce a Local Area Risk Profile for the Borough.